Music string pitch regulator



July l1, 1950 A. BREDICE 2,514,835

MUSIC STRING FITCH REGULATOR Filed Sept. 8, 1947 il" llumlmrmnj:

r IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEIIM! 37 H1Llf'lulmiMg IN V EN TOR. LFHE @RED/GE Patented `luly 11, 1950 YUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSIC STRING PITCH REGULATOR Alfred Bredice, Waterbury, Conn.

Application September 8, 1947, Serial No. 772,656

6 Claims.

This invention relates to pitch regulators, and more particularly to a device for automatically indicating the pitch of a music string.

One object of this invention is to provide a device of the above nature which includes a' graduated element which is'movable in accordance With the tensionvof the music string, thereby furnishing a means by which the pitch of the string may be determined.

Another object is to `provide a device of the Aabove nature which includes a stern for securing one end of a music string, and a spring which retains said stem and is compressible in varying degrees depending uponthe tension of said string.

Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which includes an improved tail piece for securing one endvof amusic string to an instrumentl Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which is adapted for use upon guitars, mandolins, banjoes, violins, pianos, harps, and other stringed instruments.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and'very efficient and durable in use.

With theseand other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which lthe invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a guitar having a plurality of the improved pitch regulatorsinstalledthereon.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View oi one of the pitch regulators and a. portion of the tail piece of the instrument.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a plurality of pitch regulators and the tail piece as they would be arranged in a guitar.

Referring `now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter G indicates a guitar having the usual body Il), neck il, and keys l2, whereby six strings .i3 are secured over a central bridge I4. The lower ends of the strings i3 are attached to a series of the improved pitch regulators R below the bridge i4, the pitch regulators being secured to the .body lil of theinstrument by means of a tail piece l .and a clip it.

V.Each of the regulators AR comprisesa tubular body Il having a tapped rear end i8 and a curved inwardly-extending iiange I9 at its forward end,

thereby providing a circular aperture 2i) in the forward end of the regulator body. The ange lt serves as an end abutment for a coiled spring 2l which embraces ,a slidable stem 22 within the body I9. A circular head 23 at the inner end of the stem 22 serves as an inner abutment for the coil spring 2|, and saidstem extends outwardly through the aperture 2i) and has an angular bore 24 in its outer end. Each of the strings i3 is provided with a ball end anchor 25 whereby the string will be retained in the bore 2d of one of the regulators R.

The rear end of each regulator R is'provided with an end rod 26which has an enlarged threaded head 2l engaged in the tapped end i8 .of the body l 0. The end rod 26 also has a terminal head n 28 and a iiat reduced section 29 directly adjacent said head.

If desired, the space between the threaded head 2l and the circular head 23 of the stem 22, may be constructed as a, sealed Vacuum chamber to provide the resilient force for maintaining the tension of the music string.

The tail piece I5.comprises a tubular cross piece 30 which is oblong in cross section, and a U- shaped anchor member 3| by which the cross piece 30 is connected to the clip I6. The U- shaped member 3| has threaded ends 32 entered through apertures in the cross piece 33 and secured by nuts 33.

In order to hold the regulators R, the cross piece 30 is formed with a series of keyhole slots S4 spaced along its forward portion, each comprising a circular raperture 35 in the top wall ci the cross piece 30,land connecting with a narrow slot 35 in the front wall of the cross piece.

Each Ystem 22 is provided with a series ror" pitch graduations 3l upon which the edge of the nner flange I9 will serve as an index. The pitch graduations 3l may be arranged and numbered according to any desired system, but preferably are soapplied as to provide a scale giving the numerical value of the pitch of the string One way in which such a scalemay be established is to install the regulator R in an instrument of the type in which it is to be used. The string secured thereto will then be tuned, as for example, by comparison with a tuning fork, and a mark and its numerical pitch value applied at the edge oi the iiange I9, which serves as the index.

This procedure may be repeated as many times as is necessary to establish the desired scale upon the stem 22.

When a plurality of the regulators R are installed in a series, the respective end rods thereof may be made of different lengths so as to pro- 3 vide a stepped appearance as shown by the end rods 26, 26a, 25h, 26e, 25d, and 25e, respectively, in Fig. 3.

This stepped arrangement of the regulators R will not influence their function in maintaining the tension of the strings, but will enable the instrument player to more readily locate the desired graduated stem 22 at a glance, whereby rapid tuning of the instrument will be facilitated.

Operation The improved music string pitch regulator may be applied to any desired stringed musical `instrument. If it is to be applied to a guitar, as shown in Fig. 1, the installation may be made originally at the factory, or it may be made as a replacement of the conventional tail piece.

In the latter case, the original tail piece will be removed and the clip I6, to which the tail piece I5 is attached, applied at the lower end of the instrument. The terminal heads 28 of the regulators R may then be slipped into place through the keyhole slots 34, and the strings I3 inserted through the angular bores 24 so as to be retained by the ball ends 25.

The regulator will be adapted for use with strings of different characteristics. Thus, the rod 26 and the threaded head 21 may be rotated in relation to the tubular body I1 to vary the installed position of said body, so as to provide the proper coaction between the string I3, the scale graduations 31, and the regulator body I1.

In order to tune the instrument, the keys I2 will then be manipulated to establish the desired tension in the strings I3. As the tension increases, the graduated stems 22 will be drawn outwardly of the body I0 until the proper pitch is indicated by the anges I9 which serve as an index for the graduations 31. The instrument will then be in tune. f

If one or more of the strings should go out of tune during the course of a musical program, as will frequently happen, it will not be necessary for the player to tune the instrument by the usual method of plucking the strings. It will merely be necessary to adjust each individual string until the proper value is visually indicated upon the respective scale graduations 31.

Thus, one advantage of the instant invention is that the instrument can be visually tuned during the course of a program without disturbing the audience or accompanying players.

Another advantage is that the tuning will be rapid in that the degree of tension will be constantly indicated. Thus, the usual trial-anderror method of tuning will be avoided.

While there has been disclosed in this specifiction one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modiiications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a pitch regulator, a body adapted for connection to a musical instrument, a stem adapted for connection to a string of said instrument,

4 means resiliently connecting said stem to said body, whereby the position of said stem with relation to said body will be determined by the tension in said string, graduations upon said stem, one end of said body serving as an index adjacent said graduations for indicating the tension of said string, said body comprising a tubular member having an inwardly-extending ila-nge at its forward end, said stem being slidably embraced by said iiange and having a head at its rear end slidable Within said body, and said resilient means comprising a coiled spring embracing said stem and engaged between said head and said flange.

2. In a pitch regulator, a body adapted for connection to a, musical instrument, a stem adapted for connection to a string on said instrument, means resiliently connecting said stem to said body, whereby a position of said stem with relation to said body will be determined by the tension in said string, graduations upon said stem, one end of said body serving as an index adjacent said graduations for indicating the tension of said string, the rear end of said body having a tapped bore, and a rod having a, threaded head engaged in said bore, said rod being aligned with said stem and having an opposite end head adapted for connection to the musical instrument.

3. In a musical instrument having a, string, a pitch regulator comprising a stem secured to said string, an end rod aligned with said stem, and resilient means connecting said stem and said rod; and means securing said pitch regulator to said instrument, said securing means having a keyhole slot, vand said end rod having a headed end secured in said slot.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 in which said regulator comprises a tubular body embracing said stem, and said resilient means, said stem having graduations thereon, whereby tension in said string will draw said stem outwardly of said body until the resistance of said resilient means balances the string tension, and the degree of said tension will be indicated upon said graduations by the end of said body.

y 5.l In a musical instrument having a plurality of strings, a series of pitch regulators, each comprising aA stem secured to one of said strings, each of said regulators being provided with an end rod aligned with said stem and having a headed end, and resilient means connecting said stem and said rod; a cross piece having a series of keyhole slots each securing one of said headed ends, and means securing said cross piece to said instrument. v

6. The invention as dened in claim 5, in which each of said regulators comprises a tubular body embracing said stem and said resilient means, one of said strings being secured to each stem, whereby the tensionA of said string will draw said stem outwardly of said body until the tension of said resilient element balances thestring tension.

ALFRED BREDICE.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 583,168 Cockburn May 25, 1897 936,624 Hale Oct. 12, 1909 1,884,434 Wehmann Oct. 25, 1932 2,070,916 Peate Feb. 16, 1937 2,124,439 Sunshine July 19, 1938 

